Captive-ball practice device



0 F..CRA|G, AND H. M. CONNOR.

CAPTIVE BALL PRACTICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.8. 1919.

1,399,292; Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

. sive to manufacture, and more eflicient in ac-- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. CRAIG AND HERSCHEL M. CONNOR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS T'O CRAIG GOLFMETER CO., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CAP'IIVE-BALL PRACTICE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, ,1921.

Application filed December 8, 1919. Serial No. 343,363.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, CHARLES F. CRAIG and HERSOHEL M. CONNOR, both citizens of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Captive- Ball Practice Devices; and W3 do hereby decl'are the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to captive ball practice devices and has for its object to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpention than those heretofore proposed.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views w Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a device made in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

1 indicates a base provided with a boss 2, having a hole or recess 3 into which fits a bushing 4, preferably of rubber or other re silient hock absorbing material. Fitted within the said bushing 4 is an upright post or standard 5 provided with a reduced portion 6, and carrying at its upper end a register or counter 7 for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter disclosed. Loosely mounted on the said reduced portion 6 of the standard 5 is a collar 8 and rigidly connected thereto is a sleeve 9 surrounding the said standard as shown. The said sleeve has rigidly connected to its upper end a collar 10 provided with a pair of extended arms 11 and 12, the latter of which terminates in a counter weight or ball 13. The upper end of the standard 5 is further reduced as at 14.-

providing a shoulder 15 upon which the said which is secured one end of a rod or wire 17 which is preferably bent substantially as or counter may, if desired, be directly connected to the collar 10, as by a suitable gear train. The operation of our improved device will be clear from the foregoing but may be briefly summarized as follows The device being placed upon the ground or floor, with the ball 20 resting thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, the player strikes it with his club in the usual manner. The motion thus imparted to the said ball will cause it to extend the flexible connection 19, at the same time rising from the'floor. Themember 18 being loosely mounted upon the wire 17 will also rise until, if the ball has been properly struck, the parts will have assumed the positions shown in Fig. 2. Rotary motion will also be imparted to the wire 17, the collars 8 and 10, and the sleeve 9 and they will revolve about the standard 5, as will be readily apparent. As the collar 10 revolves the pin 21 will be brought into contact with the star wheel 22, causing the register 7 to indicate the distance the ball would have traveled had it been struck in the open under actual playing conditions. The said register may, of course, show either the number of revolutions made by the parts, or preferably, the number of yards traveled.

The player is thus enabled to know whether or not his stroke has had the proper force, and also by the position the ball 20 and ring 18 assume with respect to the rod 17, whether the said ball was correctly hit. That is to say, if it has been properly hit,

the parts will rise to substantially the posipart way up the rod 17 and the ball will rise and fall in itstravel.

This sliding of the ring 18 upon the rod 17 is an important feature of our invention, for it has been found that devices of this nature do not operate satisfactorily except when the flexible connection such as 19 is fastened to the revolving parts, substantially at the level of the ball when in position to be struck. This is of necessity near the floor, and it results in the use of similar devices heretofore proposed, that when the stroke is made the ball travels in close proximity thereto, and often comes into contact therewith causing it to come to rest sooner than it should, thus destroying the value of the register indication.

On the other hand, if the connection 19 is fastened to the revolving parts at a higher level, the ball has a tendency to fly back after being struck, to its initial plane, striking the ground on its first revolution, and thus again destroying the value of the reading. ith the present invention, however, the initial point of attachment is approximately in the plane occupied by the ball at rest, but as soon as the stroke is made the ring 18 rises on the rod 19, whereby the flight of the ball is unimpeded and a true indication obtained.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore, we do not wish to be limited to the above disclosure except .as may be required by the claims.

What we claim is 1. In a device of the class described the combination of a base; a stationary standard. secured to said base; a rotatable member comprising a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a rod member rigid with said sleeve, spaced therefrom, and extending from end to end of the same; a slidable ring member movable on said rod member; a ball connected to said ring member; and means for indicating the travel of said ball when struck; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a base; a stationary standard secured to said base; a cushioning means associated with said standard and base; a rotatable member provided with a plurality of extensions adapted to revolve about said standard; a connection between said extensions; a member-slidable upon said connection; a ball flexibly connected to said slidable member and means carried by said standard and adapted to be actuated by said rotatable member for indicating the distance traveled by said ball when struck, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. CRAIG. HERSC'HEL M. CONNOR.

Witnesses:

MARIE FORMAN, WM. H. CARR. 

